It is ten years ago this week since the Guardian reported that guidelines for the redevelopment the dog racing stadium had been drawn up three years before its closure was announced.

Secret meetings were held between council officials and developers over the future of Walthamstow Stadium a year before its closure was announced, it has emerged.

Documents published on the authority's website also state that it drew up planning guidelines for redeveloping the site as early as September 2005 - three years before the venue’s closure was announced.

The details have emerged in a letter from the venue's current owners, London and Quadrant (L&Q), which was sent in 2010.

It expressed "surprise and disappointment" at a council decision not to formally allocate the venue as a site for housing.

L&Q says the council gave it a confidential list of sites expected to contribute to new housing in the borough, but the stadium was not mentioned.

An L&Q spokeswoman said: “This is from a late 2009 consultation on the Borough’s emergent Core Strategy, which closed in February 2010.

“The latest round of documents on the emergent strategy do list Walthamstow Stadium as one of several sites potentially suitable for mixed use”

Cllr Marie Pye, cabinet member for housing, originally told the Guardian she could not comment on the issue as she has only been in the post since May.

But, in a statement issued later, she said: “The council is regularly approached by developers, organisations and members of the public who want to discuss possible future schemes. Such meetings are all part of the council’s normal engagement and its important role as an independent planning body.

“The Local Development Framework clearly states that the site is appropriate for mixed use that will benefit the wider community including housing, employment, leisure and community activities.

“Overall, we do not own this site and our role is as the independent planning authority and through the LDF ensure that any future development is suitable.”

Meanwhile residents living next to the stadium in Chingford Road, Chingford, say they have received letters from L&Q inviting them to a consultation on revised plans.

In a statement to the Guardian earlier this week L&Q said it would be consulting on its plans "shortly" but gave no indication when this would be.

Chingford MP Iain Duncan Smith expressed concern about the consultation.

He said: "I understand that L&Q are holding a consultation event this week and that they have only invited selected residents.

“If this is true, it would make the event a farce. The whole point of a public consultation event is that it should be for anybody who wants to give their views – not selected residents.

It is understood that this week's consultations are being held on an appointment basis only.

An L&Q spokeswoman added: “We have been working hard over the past few months consulting with local residents, businesses and organisations in a variety of ways to provide as many opportunities as possible to meet with us to discuss our plans.

“This has included one to one meetings, surveys and resident focus groups.

“This week we have invited local residents to attend one to one meetings with our team on an appointment basis.

“This is all just part of the overall consultation process for the site and demonstrates our commitment to working with the local community.

“We do have plans to hold public exhibitions as part of this process and will announce details on this nearer the time.”